Along with new opportunities, college brings new challenges and demands in every area of life. Many students need to navigate these challenges with less outside support than ever before. For students with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), these demands can be especially hard to meet.
Harvard Health defines ADHD as a neurodevelopmental disorder marked by inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsive behavior. In adults, ADHD is often linked to challenges with executive function. This includes planning, concentration, organization, time management, and memory. These are all key skills for college students.
ADHD can strongly impact your academic and personal life, along with your mental health. Duke University notes that young women are especially likely to experience disorders like depression or anxiety alongside ADHD. However, support for ADHD and its related challenges is available.
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ADHD Burnout in College Students: Signs and Solutions
For students, ADHD can present in numerous frustrating ways. In addition to issues with memory and concentration, ADHD can lead to high-energy periods known as hyperfocus. In such periods, Psychology Today notes that people often approach tasks with intense energy, only to exhaust themselves later. Taken together, these symptoms can leave one depleted and “burnt out.”
Some signs of burnout related to ADHD can include:
- Physical fatigue
- Mental exhaustion
- Feeling emotionally overwhelmed
- Disengagement from friends or previously enjoyed activities
- Procrastination and avoidance
ADDitude Magazine outlines some helpful strategies that can help young women break these cycles of ADHD-related burnout. First, it’s worth questioning the sources of your burnout. These may include triggers, personal expectations, or self-criticism. Understanding these causes can help you address the problem and prevent future burnout, not just manage its outward effects.
Similarly, it’s important to define your limits and set boundaries. This includes making emotional health and self-care a high priority. Setting firm boundaries helps you recognize when you’re moving toward unhealthy behaviors or patterns related to burnout.
Finally, asking for help is a simple but effective strategy. This may mean asking a friend for assistance in completing tasks or staying organized. Or, it may involve reaching out to a mental health professional for further treatment when symptoms are too disruptive to your daily life.
Why College Can Reveal Previously Undiagnosed ADHD
The American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry notes that most people with ADHD are diagnosed before college. However, some students only begin to recognize the symptoms of ADHD once they enter college.
Texas A&M University notes that many people with undiagnosed ADHD maintain an acceptable level of academic performance throughout high school. This can leave them blindsided upon entering college. Success in college often demands a high level of sustained attention and organization. Struggles in these areas can quickly become apparent.
Because ADHD is under-researched and under-diagnosed in women, experiences of late diagnosis in adulthood can be common. The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) notes that ADHD symptoms among girls and women are especially likely to have been missed in childhood. If you suspect you may be struggling with ADHD, evaluation with a mental health professional can help.
ADHD and Anxiety: How to Understand the Overlap
ADHD and anxiety are closely related. Psych Central notes that nearly half of adults with ADHD also have an anxiety disorder. The two conditions often impact and “fuel” each other. ADHD’s impacts on energy, focus, and organization create real stress, which can easily turn into spiraling anxiety.
The overlap between the conditions can also be confusing. Medical News Today notes that both conditions can make it difficult to concentrate or relax. Shared symptoms can also include irritability, difficulty sleeping, restlessness, fatigue, and memory issues.
One helpful distinction from the Attention Deficit Disorder Association is that adults with ADHD struggle to focus even when calm, while anxiety tends to affect focus when worry or fear sets in. Because ADHD often occurs with other mental disorders and can make them harder to treat, a thorough evaluation should look at both.
Executive Dysfunction in College: Why Knowing What to Do Isn’t Always Enough
Facing executive dysfunction is frustrating, especially for college students. Students often know what they need to do and how to accomplish it. They may care greatly about their assignment, task, or commitment. However, executive dysfunction can make it feel impossible to begin or make any real progress.
The Cleveland Clinic explains that executive dysfunction is one of the key symptoms of ADHD. ADDitude Magazine notes that it often leads to weak prioritization, time blindness, and trouble juggling concurrent tasks. Challenges with executive function may include:
- Knowing what to do but being unable to start
- “Spacing out” in class or an important meeting
- Losing track of time
- Challenges with motivation
- Spending hours planning or organizing instead of doing
- Trouble switching between tasks
- Forgetting steps or instructions partway through
- Being constantly derailed from a task by distraction or interruption
Research shows that executive dysfunction contributes to poorer academic performance and quality of life. ADDitude Magazine offers some helpful tips to manage these challenges. These include using physical tools, like notes or alarms, to “outsource” the mental work of tracking commitments or time. Establishing a quiet, comfortable, and distraction-free environment is also important. Finally, planning to tackle demanding tasks when you’re at your most productive can help you accomplish more. The Cleveland Clinic adds that treating the underlying condition of ADHD, often with medication and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), can also reduce its impact.
How ADHD Can Affect Sleep, Relationships, and Self-Esteem
ADHD often causes significant problems with sleep and energy. NIMH reports that sleep problems affect up to 70% of adults with ADHD, which can make focus and mood even harder to manage the next day.
Relationships can suffer as well. People with ADHD often find it hard to maintain long-term relationships and articulate their thoughts. They may also worry that others will misinterpret their ADHD symptoms as a lack of caring.
These challenges can harm one’s confidence and self-esteem. Women with ADHD are more likely to have low self-esteem than men with the same condition. Late diagnosis can further deepen these effects. Simply Psychology notes one study that found late diagnosis had significant negative effects on women’s self-esteem, mental health, and identity. However, these impacts can be treated. CBT for ADHD has been shown to improve symptoms and increase self-esteem.
When Procrastination Is Connected to ADHD or Mental Health
It’s natural to want to put off tasks one doesn’t want to complete. However, this can become a significant problem for adults with ADHD. The Attention Deficit Disorder Association notes that people with ADHD tend to procrastinate more due to challenges with motivation, energy management, and emotional control. This can have obvious consequences for one’s academic and personal life.
Procrastination is also tied to various mental health issues. Procrastination has been linked to depression, anxiety, and stress among college students. This link between anxiety and procrastination can lead to a negative cycle. Someone may put off a task due to anxiety, which only causes further worry when they inevitably fall behind in their schedule or deadline.
If you struggle with procrastination, consider why you’re putting something off. If starting feels impossible even when you care about the task, executive dysfunction may be involved. If you’re avoiding work out of fear of judgment or failure, anxiety may be at play. Regardless of the source, all of these challenges are worth discussing with a mental health professional.
Find Support for ADHD and Executive Dysfunction at Luna Recovery for Women
ADHD and executive dysfunction can significantly impact your daily life, from your grades to your friendships and mental health. If you’re struggling with these kinds of symptoms, your campus counseling center, student health service, primary care provider, or a therapist can help you determine what support may be appropriate.
If you have ADHD or another mental health condition and are looking for a treatment program, we are here to help. Luna Recovery for Women is proud to offer women-centered mental health and addiction treatment that empowers women to heal in a compassionate, supportive, and understanding environment.
To learn more about treatment options, and our Brookline, MA location catered to college students, please contact Luna Recovery for Women at (888) 491-3722 today.